Disney aims to stoke Star Wars fever with Starcruiser, plans new shows

Walt Disney is opening a hotel that it insists isn’t a hotel — part of its latest push to wring more money with the Star Wars franchise. 

The entertainment giant unveiled plans for the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a multiday experience at Walt Disney World that will let guests feel like they’re staying inside a spaceship.

It’s not a hotel or a ride, but a “space cruise”, the company said this week at its biennial D23 Expo, a fan convention. Disney showed off a model of the ship, called the Halcyon, designed for the Orlando, Florida, resort. 

The firm also announced plans for a new Star Wars show based on the Obi-Wan Kenobi character. Ewan McGregor will reprise his role from the movies, appearing in a program for the new Disney+ streaming service. 

Further, Disney released a trailer for its already-announced Star Wars show The Mandalorian, which also is airing on Disney+. 

Disney is betting heavily on Star Wars, even as the brand shows signs of strain. 

The last feature film Solo: A Star Wars Story, fizzled, renewing concerns that younger viewers haven’t warmed to the franchise.

The “not-a-hotel” concept promises to be one of the most immersive experiences yet for the firm, with costumed characters assuming the role of housekeeping staff and room windows projecting scenes of outer space. 

It will be connected to a Star Wars land that’s opening at Disney World on August 29, following the debut of a similar attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

The $1-billion land is among the largest investments Disney has made in its resorts. At the D23 conference, Disney also announced more plans to revamp Disney World’s Epcot. It will include a new attraction based on its animated hit Moana.

Disney has been adding more attractions tied to the company’s hit films to the park, the company’s second-oldest in Florida.